I had recently purchased a book called, Working the Plate and saw how lovely this salad was presented. It inspired me to want to make it. The Cobb salad is a garden salad created by Robert Cobb and was a signature menu item of the legendary Brown Derby, a landmark restaurant in Hollywood, Los Angeles,…

This dish puts a new spin on macaroni and cheese. I grew up with macaroni and cheese (like most Canadians and Americans did) eating homemade versions as well as Kraft dinner (the Kraft Company put it in a box in 1937). My Mom’s recipe for macaroni and cheese came from two of her prized cookbooks;…

I never tire of salads especially those that have interesting ingredients. Eating Peking duck and duck curry are a couple of my favorites but I have to say I have always had these in a restaurant. I did cook a whole duck many, many years ago but really haven’t made any attempt since then to…

What a delightfully delicious salad and so easy to make! This salad is overflowing with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – keeping us healthy and our immune systems strong. Louisiana Créole cuisine, is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana (Greater New Orleans area) that blends French, Mediterranean, Spanish, African, and American influences. Historically, the term…

Some of my postings of late have been a bit more than simple so I thought I’d best get back to posting quick and easy meals to make. Everyone has most probably made or tasted some sort of mushroom pasta, and this dish takes 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook. Macadamias are…

What a beautiful tasting stew! The swordfish was succulent to the point of melting in your mouth. Vin Santo (the wine of the Saints) is an Italian dessert wine. It can be a deep golden or amber color with a sweet, often nutty, taste. Swordfish comes as steaks or loin pieces. Swordfish does not freeze…

This humble fish is a type of flatfish (not very pretty looking) that swim on their side with their eyes on their back. The most celebrated is the Dover sole that was only found in the coastal waters of England. Today, it is found in the Mediterranean and off the coasts of Norway. Check this…

In every tapas bar selection, you’ll find squid which are usually deep-fried. Quality squid is easy to tell. It smells like the ocean, never strong or fishy. It looks shiny and firm and the membrane covering the squid is gray, not purple or pink. Hard to imagine there’s a site with 160 recipes for squid!…

The serving of tapas is designed to encourage conversation because people are not so focused upon eating an entire meal that is set before them. Also, in some countries it is customary for diners to stand and move about while eating tapas. Another delicious item to add to the list of tapas! In Spain, these…

These simple but delicious tapas are easy to make. Manchego cheese is produced in La Mancha and is made only from the whole milk of Manchega sheep. Olives are the most extensively cultivated fruit crop in the world. Some of the top olive producing countries in the world are: Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey. Serves…

In keeping with my last posting on tapas, below is the recipe for mussels. Mussels from the Atlantic coast of Spain grow to an enormous size within a very short time without becoming tough. Fresh mussels smell clean, like the ocean, and the shells of live mussels are tightly closed. If the mussel is slightly…